


When Peter had nightmares

by rethrin



Series: Many Times Peter and Jared Cuddled [8]
Category: Franklin & Bash
Genre: M/M, Nightmares, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-10
Updated: 2011-08-10
Packaged: 2017-11-11 02:43:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/473608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rethrin/pseuds/rethrin





	When Peter had nightmares

Jared knew his jokes were falling short by the time they got to the cave, and tried to ease back. Peter paled every time he mentioned corpses, and his answering smiles were getting tighter and tighter.

There was a party when they got in, Carmen was in the hot tub with god knows who, and Jared smiled an apology at Peter.

"You want me to get rid of everyone?"

"No, hey, today was good, right? We won the case, we saved Stanton. You deserve all this, have fun. I'm going to lie down."

"Just call if you need anything, right?" Jared said as he swiped a cocktail from the bar, and turned into the party, smiled at a few pretty faces, looking for an opening.

  


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It took Jared a few moments to register the screaming as more than someone partying a bit too enthusiastically. He untangled himself from . . . Tracey? Wendy? . . . and apologised.

"I er . . I have to go," he said. "I think that's my friend." He buttoned up his trousers which she'd only undone seconds before.

"I'll wait?" she offered, but he shook his head.

"Sorry. He's not been well." And with that he was out of the room.

He found Carmen outside his door, obviously coming to fetch him.

"I'll get rid of everyone," she said, and he nodded gratefully at her.

Peter had locked his door to stop random party goers from wandering in, but Jared knew how to lift the lock, give it a wiggle, and get through. Inside Peter was thrashing around on the bed, caught up in his cover, alternating between screams and whimpering, and it was Jared's name he was calling.

Jared was by his side in an instant, he perched on the edge of the bed, and ran his hands all over him, calming him, stroking him. He took Peter's shoulders, and held him down, until Peter started coming round. Then he let his hands drift down Peter's arms, over his sides, and Peter slowly stopped thrashing, and started focussing his eyes.

"There you are," Jared said warmly.

Peter put a hand on Jared's chest, and then pulled at him. Jared's back protested at the angle, and his hip wasn't really designed to bend that way, but Peter's hands were insistent and Jared didn't try to escape the hug. He just moved himself around as best he could, until Peter gave him a chance to bring his legs up onto the bed, and lie against his friend properly.

Peter was still struggling to breathe, still coming out of his panic, dragging air into his lungs. He rolled them so that he was lying on top of Jared, and looked down at him, his eyes sweeping every inch of his face, his hands squeezing Jared's arms. Jared had been here before.

"S'okay," he whispered. "I'm fine."

It wasn't always corpses. But Peter had nightmares. They were about all sorts of things, and as long as Jared had lived with him he'd been the star.

"You were dead," Peter whispered, "Oh god Jared, I couldn't get to you."

"I wasn't dead," Jared said calmly.

"No," Peter curled his hand around Jared's face, and stroked a thumb over his mouth as if to reassure himself of that. And Jared let him, would let him do just about anything he needed to right now, if it would help him. He could feel Peter's heart, still racing at a mile a minute. He breathed steadily, trying to feed some calm into Peter's body.

A few minutes more, and Jared moved Peter to lie beside him again. And Peter complied, exhausted and aching now that the panic was subsiding. Jared turned away from him, pressing back against his chest, and Peter folded his arms around him. Jared took one of Peter's hands, and held it tight. He held it near his mouth, where Peter would feel his breath. This was how they slept when Peter had nightmares.

"Sorry," Peter said, simply.

Jared shook his head very slightly and kissed Peter's hand very briefly. He felt a returned kiss on his hair, and smiled.


End file.
